The Decibel Why your grocery bill is still so high
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Jan 30, 2026 Mike von Massow, a food economist and University of Guelph professor, breaks down why groceries keep getting pricier. He discusses rising costs for beef and coffee, how climate and weather shocks ripple through supply, the role of tariffs and shrinkflation, and why food reacts differently to policy. He also covers consumer shifts between proteins and practical ways households cope.
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Protein Substitution Raises Other Meats
- Higher beef prices push consumers toward other proteins, raising demand and prices for pork and chicken.
- Protein substitution creates ripple effects across the meat market.
Climate Makes Coffee Prices Sticky
- Coffee and chocolate crops are highly sensitive to small climate changes, reducing yields and quality.
- Adjusting coffee production (replanting, moving altitude) takes years, so prices won't fall quickly.
Tariffs Hurt Some Items, Not The Whole Basket
- Tariffs affected a few products like coffee, orange juice and sugar, but didn't broadly drive Canadian food inflation.
- Impact depended on whether Canada could import alternatives from non‑tariffed sources.